About Violet Iodine

As a woman, you know that during your cycle, your “ladies” can swell and become uncomfortable to the touch. In fact, they can even make simple acts like sleeping or putting on clothes torture.

Violet Iodine is a once daily, non-hormone iodine supplement that claims to help alleviate some of this premenstrual breast discomfort, including tenderness, aches, pressure, and swelling. How?

By using a unique formulation that reacts with the acid in your stomach to create molecular iodine (also known as I2). In turn, this iodine restores the healthy balance of breast cells, resulting in a decrease in swollen tissue. This means more comfort for you!

It sounds so simple, right? Take a harmless iodine tablet and all your sore breast woes will disappear!

But all might not be what it seems with Violet Iodine. To help you make an informed decision, let’s begin with the conditions the supplement claims to address.

What Is Cyclic Mastalgia and Fibrocystic Breast Condition (FBC)?

Cyclic mastalgia is just a fancy name for breast pain, although this pain can range between mild and severe.

On the other hand, fibrocystic breast condition references a very specific medical condition where fibrous tissue and cysts can appear in the breasts as a result of monthly hormonal changes. This can cause breasts to feel swollen, firm, or even hard to the touch.

Here’s the catch though: For the most part, modern medicine doesn’t have a solid grasp on precisely what causes FBC, although estrogen is thought to play a large role. This is odd, since the Violet Iodine commercial might’ve made it seem like the condition is fully understood (more about this next).

The good news is that cyclic mastalgia and FBC generally don’t signify any medical concerns, and they mostly subside after your period.

While you’re experiencing them though, do any of Violet Iodine’s ingredients relieve CM or FBC?

The Effectiveness of Violet Iodine’s Ingredients

According to the label on the supplement’s website, Violet Iodine contains the following ingredients:

Iodine (as 84% potassium Iodine, 16% potassium iodate) 3,000mcg

Selenium (as sodium selenite) 55mcg

Is either of these effective for treating monthly breast pain? In short, the jury’s still out, although “there is preliminary evidence that iodine deficiency contributes to fibrocystic breast changes by enhancing the sensitivity of breast tissue to estrogen.”

Some doctors of natural medicine use iodine for fibrocystic symptoms, either orally or intravaginally. In animals, iodine deficiency can cause the equivalent of fibrocystic disease. What appears to be the most effective form – diatomic iodine – is not readily available. It may be that the iodine makes the breast tissue less sensitive to the effects of estrogen. Because some people are sensitive to iodine and high amounts can alter thyroid function, it should not be taken without a doctor's involvement.

The key here is that, while there is some preliminary evidence showing iodine might help reduce FBC and breast pain, there’s basically only one study to support the proposition. And even the scientists who conducted the study concluded by stating: “Although there is suggestive evidence for a preventive role for iodine and selenium in breast cancer, rigorous retrospective and prospective studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.”

There is not, however, any evidence showing that iodine supplementation can improve overall breast health.

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Violet Iodine’s Side Effects

We think it’s positive that the manufacturer notes this, because Violet Iodine contains 3,000mcg (or about 3mg) of iodine per tablet, which is much higher than the 16-130mcg recommended daily allowance of iodine, depending on the condition you’re looking to treat. According to WebmMD:

“Large amounts or long-term use of iodine are POSSIBLY UNSAFE. Adults should avoid prolonged use of doses higher than 1100 mcg per day (the upper tolerable limit, UL) without proper medical supervision.”

Violet Iodine’s Price, Refund Policy, & Manufacturer Info

Violet Iodine is only available through a variety of third-party retailers, including CVS, Walgreens, The Vitamin Shoppe, and more, and is priced at follows:

30 Tablets: Between $19.99 and $44.99

60 Tablets: Between $34.99 and $69.99

As such, your refund policy will depend on the retailer you purchase the supplement through.

Violet Iodine is manufactured by a publicly traded company named BioPharmX, although this appears to be their only product. Unfortunately, BioPharmX wasn’t listed with the Better Business Bureau at the time of our research.

Speaking of other products, is there anything similar to Violet Iodine?

Similar Supplements To Violet Iodine

Violet Iodine claims to be “made with a unique, patented formulation that blends two iodine ingredients to deliver molecular iodine in a non-hormonal formulation.”

Sure, this sounds great and all, but if you type the phrase “molecular iodine supplement” or “Iodine supplement” into your favorite search engine, you’ll find that you have many other options from which to choose.

Most of these are priced much lower than Violet Iodine and will be available from many of the same retailers. As such, you’ll definitely want to check them out before making a final decision.

Let’s bring it home, shall we?

The Bottom Line about Violet Iodine

Although there’s some early research showing that taking molecular iodine can help relieve swollen and tender breasts due to monthly hormonal changes, it’s far from scientific fact. In fact, science has yet to gain a full understanding of Cyclic Mastalgia and Fibrocystic Breast Condition (FBC) in the first place.

So, should you spend your hard-earned money on Violet Iodine?

If you suffer from moderate to severe pain and/or discomfort before, during, or after your menstrual cycle, the first person you should speak with is your physician. But if your pain and discomfort significantly impacts your quality of life, then it may be worth giving a molecular iodine supplement like Violet Iodine a try.

But if your pain and discomfort is mild (or at least bearable), your money might be better spent on an OTC pain reliever like Tylenol or ibuprofen.

You can also try wearing a more supportive bra during these times, reduce your intake of coffee, tea, soda, and other caffeinated beverages, and more!

In either instance, it’s our opinion that Violet Iodine isn’t the “revolution in women’s breast health” that the manufacturer claims.

Relief

I had direct experience with the early studies. I was a patient of Dr. Ghent's. The iodine treatment gradually (six months) returned my breast tissue to normal. An added but unexpected benefit was the resolution of my endometriosis, which had caused excruciating pain every month for years.

Anyone who tells you to take ibuprofen or wear a support bra has never suffered from fibrocystic breast disease - those measures are useless.

There is no iodine in the soil around the Great Lakes, where I live. Not everyone suffers as a result of that deficiency, but those of us who do are in great pain.

What a cavalier attitude, to basically tell people in pain to "deal with it". May you walk a mile in these women's shoes.

Please understand that people who are in pain look for help - this can help some conditions, especially fibrocystic breast pain.

Now I take this iodine as a preventive measure, knowing my physiology is deficient in iodine, and I tend to make fibrous tissue, especially after surgeries etc. This form of iodine helps.